It is becoming increasingly common for U.S. citizens to own, openly carry and concealed carry firearms for personal protection. Many individuals rely on handguns and nonlethal self-defense products holstered on their body or in an apparatus to provide personal protection for themselves and others. Several states have updated laws to permit conceal carry in an increased number of public places and have issued an increased number of new permits. For example, women and members of the LGBTQ community, who have historically been highly targeted for hate crimes, are increasingly carrying firearms for personal protection.
In order to be effective, a concealed carry system must provide the ability to effectively and conveniently conceal the firearm and the ability to rapidly access the concealed firearm in response to a threat. Current systems exist for concealment and access of firearms for both on-body (i.e., on a person's body) and off-body (i.e., in a bag or other container) carry, including off-body containers (such as backpacks, briefcases, fanny packs, etc.), pass-through compartments within clothing to access outside-the-waist-band (OWB) holster, belly bands, and inside-the-waist-band (IWB) holsters. Each of the existing solutions create complications and require varying systems for different weapons and different scenarios to be used, requiring additional training and thought to be effective in life-threatening situations.